AJA NEWSLETTER Volume XXXIX, Issue I Spring 2016 Inside this issue: BOD Bio: Jeff Wynn Heads Up Concussion Awareness 2 2 Upcoming Events 3 Traditional Jujitsu Dojo are Disappearing in the AJA s Western Region 3 About the AJA 5 Board of Directors Administrative Staff 5 5 Major Changes to AJA Board of Directors & Staff Will Harris Some major changes have taken place over the past year or so which will re-shape the future of the American Ju-Jitsu Association. First up, five out of the nine positions (56%) on the Board of Directors has a new person filling the role. This turnover has been the result of the retirement of those previously holding the positions. That s an amazing amount of turnover in a short period of time. It may even lead some of you to worry whether it s good to have such a large turnover What Would You Do? Gene Roos Imagine you are between classes at school and there is a young man in the hallway running towards you as he is stabbing other students. What do you do? You wanted to take jujitsu, but you never got around to it. Again you think, What do I do? The first thing to do is get out of the way of the attacker. Use anything that is available to deter the attack (to protect yourself from being seriously wounded). and wonder what the future holds. Well fear not, those retiring board members now make up what is called the Senior Advisory Board. Though they no longer have voting rights, they will be available to consult for the new board members when needed. Maintaining access to all of that institutional knowledge is a tremendous asset for the AJA. The new leadership includes the following: President: David Boesel Vice President: Jeff Wynn What is available? You have your backpack, your text books, chairs, desks, maybe even a fire extinguisher. Use ANYTHING you can. Here are two possible options: Option 1: Swing your backpack so as to hit the attacker s eye or eyes. This may stop the attack temporarily. Option 2: Use a heavy textbook to knock down the attacker s hand and then hit him in the eyes (with the edge of the book). Secretary: Kristine Wiscarson Southern Region Director: Thomas Salander Northern Region Director: Paul Klara On the Administrative Staff, we ve had a recent turnover of approximately 4 out of 10 positions, including: Certificates: Barry Stebbins Communication Director: John Landry Recruitment: Sherry Gibson Webmaster: Scott Finley (Continued on page 2) Follow up to either option: Throw the attacker down to the ground (either forward or backwards) on his head. Odds are the attacker doesn t know how to fall properly without injuring himself and he hits his head on the ground. This may hurt the attacker enough that he doesn t continue his attack. When you can safely do so, get a teacher or an administrator to handle the attacker and call the police. Obviously no one wants to be (Continued on page 4)
Page 2 AJA Newsletter BOD Bio: Jeff Wynn, Vice President Jeff Wynn is a research geophysicist with the US Geological Survey, where he filled a 5-year assignment as Chief Scientist for Volcano Hazards - which brought him from Reston, VA, to Washington State in 2002. He is also an Adjunct Full Professor of Geology at the University of Maryland and professor of Geophysics at The George Washington University in Washington, DC. Jeff lived three years in the Venezuelan jungle as an American Diplomat, along with his wife and five children, necessitating completion of the University of Maryland's Advanced Trauma Life Support course. He is the first author of the geology map of the southern half of Venezuela, and the co-author of "2 Worlds, The Real Venezuela: Living on the Edge of the Jungle and the Rise of Hugo Chavez." Jeff and family also lived four years in Saudi Arabia, where he mapped the Wabar Impact Crater when the temperature reached 61C/142F, and strayed into Yemen during one of its civil wars. Jeff's martial arts study began in 1967 with Wado-Kai Karate- Do (Rokyu; at Berkeley), and Okinawan Goju-Ryu (Sankyu; at San Francisco). He earned a Nidan equivalent in American Combat Sombo in competition at the International Millennial Games in Orlando, FL in 2000. He currently holds Godan rank in Budoshin Jujitsu and Rokudan rank in Taiho-Jutsu. Jujitsu and Taiho-Jutsu are a family affair with the Wynns, as all three sons and Jeff's wife hold black belts. Jeff is the Sensei of the Vancouver Institute of Self Defense, and with his black belt students has taught nearly 100 classes in women's self-defense at Clark College, Washington State University, and the Washington State Department of Revenue, among other entities. Changes to BOD & Admin Staff (Continued from page 1) For a full list of all members on our Board of Directors or Administrative Staff, please see page 5 of this newsletter. There you will find a complete list of positions, the name of the person filling that position, and an email address to reach that person. Upon reviewing the list, you will notice that we currently have a vacancy for the position of a National Awards Coordinator. If you have an interest in filling this position, please speak with your sensei and then reach out to your regional director. As for the new members on the Board of Directors, watch for upcoming mini-biographies in future issues of this newsletter. Please join me is wishing a happy retirement to our former board members, including Dennis McCurdy (past president), Terry Feelemyer (former northern region director), Tony Maynard (former southern region director), and Wade Susie and Karen Curley (former co-secretary). Likewise, please wish good luck to all of the new members of the board and administrative staff. Welcome aboard! STUDENTS & PARENTS: CONCUSSION AWARENESS Injuries or concussions are very rare in AJA dojos. However, they do occasionally occur. Here is some really usable information on concussion awareness for you as a parent and as a student. Please download this information, read it, and keep it for future reference: For students/athletes: www.cdc.gov/concussion/pdf/athletes_eng.pdf For parents: www.cdc.gov/concussion/pdf/parents_eng.pdf For general information: www.cdc.gov/headsup/index.html SENSEI/INSTRUCTOR: CONCUSSION AWARENESS TRAINING & CERTIFICATION If you re an instructor and NOT yet Concussion Awareness Training certified go to: www.cdc.gov/concussion/headsup/ Training/index.html take the FREE 30 minute course, pass the FREE exam, and secure your FREE Concussion Awareness Training Certificate. This is an insurance coverage requirement. Also, make sure you re making the information presented above in Students & Parents: Concussion Awareness, available to your students and their parents on a regular basis, either by printing up the documents and handing them out in class or providing students and parents with the links so they can download the information themselves.
Volume XXXIX, Issue I Page 3 Upcoming Events Northern Region Seminar and Shiai Budoshin Ju-Jitsu Yudanshakai Summer Camp George Kirby Seminar Where: The Orokawa Y in Towson (aka Towson YMCA) 600 W. Chesapeake Ave Towson, MD 21204 When: Sunday, July 24, 2016 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM (approximate) Notes: TBD More details to come. Preliminary seminar instructors include Tony Maynard, Bill Stockey, George Parulski, Bruce Jones, and Will Harris. The day will include waza competition (no kumite/sparring competition) for all ages/ranks. Where: North Oaks Park Community Room 27824 N. Camp Plenty Rd Canyon Country, CA 91351 When: August 12-14, 2016 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM daily Notes: Varies based on days/events attended Please visit www.budoshin.com/ seminars.htm for complete details and registration links. Where: Woodmont Program Ctr 2422 N. Fillmore St Arlington, VA 22207 When: Saturday, Nov 5, 2016 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (date is tentative) TBD Notes: Look for more details as we get closer to the event. Advanced registration is recommended. Hosting an Event? Please send pertinent info (what, when, where, cost, how to register) to: Newsletter@AJA-email.org Traditional Japanese Jujitsu Dojos are Disappearing in the AJA s Western Region Linda Della Pelle Over the past two decades, the number of traditional Japanese jujitsu dojos in the AJA's Western Region has dwindled. Are dojos closing due to lack of interest in traditional Japanese jujitsu by the public, or a lack of interest to teach this traditional art? Is the notion of opening a dojo as an avocation, rather than as a primary job or profession, simply out of vogue? Considering current, popular trends, it may be that that the AJA will likely see less and less dojos that teach traditional Japanese jujitsu. Whether it's Gracie jujitsu/brazilian jujitsu, or some other wrestling jujitsu hybrid, new martial art trends will always immerge and capture the attention of the media and capture the imagination of the public. If one relies on teaching martial arts as a primary source of income, then allowing popular trends to drive the curriculum makes it a matter of dollars and cents. But if the bottom line of opening a dojo is not about making money, but rather about perpetuating the art that originally captured your imagination and enthusiasm in the first place, then traditional Japanese jujitsu Yudansha can venture into opening up dojos with a sense of freedom. Regardless of what is trending in martial arts, teaching traditional Japanese jujitsu can be done as an "avocation." I don't discount the value of other martial art forms. However, as a matter of full disclosure, I hold a Sandan in Budoshin Jujitsu (a traditional Japanese jujitsu system) and I have a bias towards traditional Japanese jujitsu. For years, I taught in Claremont, California, which is within the AJA's Western Region. With the alarmingly small number of AJA dojos in Southern California, I contemplate the future and I wonder who will perpetuate the art of traditional Japanese jujitsu within our Western Region? Who will help keep the traditional Japanese jujitsu dojo alive? When I consider the Western Region and when I consider truly outstanding efforts to perpetuate the art of traditional Japanese jujitsu, my first thoughts go to my sensei, Professor George Kirby. Professor Kirby's efforts have gone far beyond running a dojo. His list of credentials is impressive: Co-founder of the American Jujitsu Association, founder of the Budoshin Ju-Jitsu Yudanshakai, author of multiple books and materials to instruct the jujitsuka, author and star of a traditional Japanese jujitsu video teaching series, a busy "seminar sensei", a Camp Budoshin organizer and the head sensei of an active AJA dojo. Professor Kirby's efforts not only give opportunities for students in the AJA's Western Region to learn traditional Japanese jujitsu, but he has made (Continued on page 4)
Page 4 AJA Newsletter Traditional Japanese Jujitsu Dojos are Disappearing in the AJA s Western Region (Continued from page 3) it possible for new generations of national and international students to study the art. Professor Kirby's contributions are truly outstanding. What about the rest of us? We may not all have the same drive, talents and longevity that George Kirby has. But, what are our talents and can we use them to perpetuate the art through teaching? If you've earned your Shodan in traditional Japanese jujitsu, and you think you have a talent for teaching, then I strongly urge you to carve out the time to teach! Pass the art forward! As a Yudansha, whether you are occasionally helping your head sensei with the students, making yourself available to co-instruct, or running your own dojo, you can help perpetuate the art! To Yudansha with good organizational skills, good team building skills and the talent and desire to teach, consider opening up your own dojo. I realize that you may not believe that you have the time to run dojo. We are all only given 24 hours each day. Every day, we prioritize what it is we WANT to do and then we MAKE THE TIME to do it. We all have obligations, but we all MAKE the time to do the things that we want to do. Will we have a new generation of traditional Japanese jujitsu Yudansha who want to make the time to perpetuate the art as an avocation? For those who ARE willing to make the time to teach and to run a dojo, what's REALLY in it for them? The answer from my personal experience is: a journey filled with hard work and fun, dedication and patience, challenges and victories, and, for me, great satisfaction. I've also encountered many good people and I've made some very good friends along the way. Coming from the perspective of having had perpetuated the art of traditional Japanese jujitsu as an avocation, I've found my experience veryrewarding. What are my credentials to make such a claim? In 1989, I began taking a traditional Japanese jujitsu class. Something about jujitsu ju.st clicked with me! After a lot of dedication, fun and many bumps, bruises and sprains, I earned my Sho- dan. I thought I didn't have the time to devote to teaching. But, in 1994, fellow jujitsuka, Bill Swope, persuaded me to teach with him. Together, we created Universal Jujitsu Dojo. When Sensei Bill retired from our dojo in 1997, I continued on. I was fortunate to have another talented jujitsuka, Paul Martinez, accept my invitation to co-instruct with me. After his retirement in 2005, my fortune continued. I had a talented pool of co-instructor candidates from the Black Belts I had trained and promoted from within Universal Jujitsu Dojo. For a short time, I had both Sensei Dustin Contreras and Sensei Cesar George as my co-instructors. Soon, I lost Sensei Dustin to his career and busy work schedule. Two nights every week, for over two decades, I've been part of the dedicated teaching teams of Universal Jujitsu Dojo Black Belts, which offered a traditional Japanese jujitsu curriculum to our students. For the last 9 years, I was blessed to have Sensei Cesar remain as my co-instructor. I was equally blessed to have retired sensei, Sensei Paul, be a regular guest-contributor to our class through the years. I greatly appreciate the loyalty, talent and dedication they've given to me and Universal Jujitsu Dojo. Perpetuating the art has been a team effort. After teaching consecutive sessions for 21 years, and as founder and head sensei of Universal Jujitsu Dojo, I called "BREAK" after the summer session in 2015. The enthusiasm and camaraderie of my four co-instructors, of all my Black Belts and of my many students, made those 21 years both fun and gratifying. I reflect back on our shared experience in Universal Jujitsu Dojo with tremendous appreciation. Over two decades, the number of traditional Japanese jujitsu dojos in the AJA's Western Region has dwindled. I was painfully aware of that fact as I made my decision to call "BREAK." Now, in 2016, after 21 years, Universal Jujitsu Dojo will appear on the AJA's "Inactive Dojo" list. Because of my appreciation of the traditional art of Japanese Jujitsu, I urge the new generation of traditional Japanese jujitsu Yudansha to open new dojos. Because of my personal experience, I can say that teaching jujitsu and running a dojo can be one of the most rewarding journeys that you'll make! (Continued from page 1) cut or stabbed by an attacker with a sharp weapon. Learn to use your environment. Pick up objects (staplers, tape dispensers, paper weights, books, etc.) that you can throw at the attacker s eyes (only attack the eyes). Pick up objects (a chair or student desk) that you can use to keep the attacker at a safe distance and hopefully keep him from cutting you. The attacker with a knife can inflict damages by slicing or What Would You Do? stabbing. The wounds can range from a superficial flesh wound to something severe enough to be fatal. When an attacker has a deadly weapon and a transportation method to deliver it, do not worry about hurting him in order to stop the attack. Hurting your attacker to the point he is incapacitated may be your only chance at survival. Now go sign up for those jujitsu classes you never got around to taking!
Page 5 About the American Ju-Jitsu Association The American Ju-Jitsu Association was founded in 1972, by George Kirby and William Fromm at the request of their sensei, Jack Seki, for the purpose of bringing different ryu of the art together in an atmosphere of mutual cooperation and respect. Since that time it has grown from two dojo to approximately twenty-four, plus international affiliates. The AJA has established itself as a reputable organization within the martial arts community and works closely with other major Ju-Jitsu organizations in the United States and internationally in areas of mutual concern. AMERICAN JU-JITSU ASSOCIATION PO Box 801854 Santa Clarita, CA 91380 The AJA is a non-profit amateur athletic association registered with both the state of California and the United States government [IRS code 501(c)(3)]. It is a non-profit corporation with a charitable foundation status. Although originally recognized by the IRS as a social club because there was no other way to recognize the AJA as an amateur athletic association, formal recognition of the AJA as a true amateur athletic association, according to the criteria of the United States government, was secured in 1976 under the Sports Act of that year. To our knowledge, the AJA is the only martial arts organization in the U.S. that is classified by the IRS as an amateur athletic association. Board of Directors Position Name Email Chairman & International Region Director George Kirby Chairman@AJA-email.org President David Boesel President@AJA-email.org Vice President Jeff Wynn VP@AJA-email.org Secretary Kristine Wiscarson Secretary@AJA-email.org Treasurer Marc Tucker Treasurer@AJA-email.org Western Region Director Tony Damigo WRDirector@AJA-email.org Southern Region Director & International Competition Coordinator Thomas Salander SRDirector@AJA-email.org Northern Region Director Paul Klara NRDirector@AJA-email.org Director Gene Roos Director@AJA-email.org Administrative Staff Position Name Email Certificates Coordinator Barry Stebbins Certificates@AJA-email.org Communication Director John Landry Communications@AJA-email.org Historian Mike Balog Historian@AJA-email.org Materials Coordinator Jef Rice Materials@AJA-email.org Membership Kristine Wiscarson Membership@AJA-email.org National Awards Vacant Awards@AJA-email.org National Standards & Certification Board Harold Zeidman NSCB@AJA-email.org Newsletter Editor Will Harris Newsletter@AJA-email.org Recruitment Sherry Gibson Recruitment@AJA-email.org Webmaster Scott Finley Webmaster@AJA-email.org Visit us on the web: www.americanjujitsuassociation.org